Chapter 1091: Your Relationships Really Are Complicated! (Please Subscribe)

"How could such a thing happen? Father Tang, is your information reliable? Would the King of France really marry the Queen of Spain? Their two countries have been at war for so many years."

"She may not necessarily become queen, because Her Highness the Princess will renounce her right of succession."

"So what? King Philip's two sons were born with terrible illnesses and cannot possibly grow up!"

"Ambassador, a man's life and death rest with the will of God."

"Then if Her Highness the Princess's two younger brothers both die young, who will become the heir?"

"There is also Princess Margaret Theresa. She is Princess Maria Theresa's younger sister, only eight years old this year, in good health, and of relatively normal intelligence."

"It will not be that simple. Cardinal Mazarin is an old fox, and he will certainly make arrangements especially favorable to Princess Maria Theresa."

"Perhaps. After all, this princess's greatest value lies precisely in her right of succession!"

Outside Paris, in the town of Versailles, within a luxurious mansion combining Chinese and Western architectural styles, Li Shaoyou, the Great Ming ambassador to the three kingdoms of France, Holland, and England, was conversing with Tang Ruowang, the Great Ming special envoy who had just returned from Spain.

The matter they were discussing was, of course, that great affair which had drawn the eyes of all Europe — what could be more worrying than a union of France and Spain?

For the Great Ming Empire, far away on the other side of the earth, a Franco-Spanish union was equally troublesome. For France was the Great Ming Empire's most reliable ally in Europe, while Spain was the Great Ming Empire's mortal enemy — not because of mutual likes or dislikes, but because of interests.

The Great Ming was seeking hegemony in the Pacific and colonies in North America, while Spain regarded itself as master of the Americas and the Pacific.

Therefore the contradictions between the two sides were difficult to reconcile!

France, however, as a newly rising European great power, possessed rather limited overseas interests, and had no conflict whatsoever with the Great Ming's pursuits.

But once France entered into a union with Spain, then Spain's interests in the New World and the Pacific would become entirely identical with France's.

By then the Great Ming Empire would face the challenge of a powerful French army in the New World.

"Ambassador," Tang Ruowang paused, "Philip IV's health is not yet too poor. I think the union of France and Spain will not occur for the time being."

"But once France and Spain are joined by marriage, will the Great Ming become their common enemy?"

"No, it will not." Tang Ruowang shook his head. "Unless Maria Theresa becomes Queen of Spain, such a situation will not arise."

He paused, and his tone grew heavier: "But... should the Kingdom of New Spain be invaded by the Great Ming, the likelihood of Maria Theresa becoming queen would greatly increase. Because Spain cannot do without New Spain, and France is the only choice!"

England and Holland, of course, also had the strength to aid Spain, but Charles Cromwell could not possibly marry a Spanish princess — he was a staunch Puritan!

And Holland could not support Spain against China either — in fact, Holland was happy to see the Great Ming Empire and Spain contend for the west coast of the Americas, for in that way Holland's interests in the South Seas spice islands would be secured."

"What of the Holy Roman Empire?" Li Shaoyou said. "There are rumors that Margaret Theresa will marry her own maternal uncle, Leopold, Emperor of the Holy Roman Empire. He is already twenty years old this year, and has even become emperor, yet still has not managed to take a wife. He is probably waiting for Margaret Theresa to grow up."

To have become emperor and still worry about not finding a wife, and to have to wait for his eight-year-old niece to grow up — this Leopold I truly is something else.

Tang Ruowang shook his head repeatedly and said: "Spain cannot possibly share a sovereign with the Holy Roman Empire. Besides, the Holy Roman Empire has plenty of troubles of its own — right now they are at war with Sweden and Transylvania. And the Ottoman Empire has suddenly revived in the past few years; before long it will likely be at full-scale war with the Holy Roman Empire!"

Next door to the Holy Roman Empire, that originally chaotic Ottoman Empire had suddenly produced a mad old politician in his eighties, Mehmed Koprulu, who somehow managed to bamboozle Sultan Mehmed IV and his mother, the Valide Sultan Hatice, into making him Grand Vizier with full powers. And after taking office he turned into a demon feared by all, executing thirty thousand corrupt officials, lawless soldiers, and rebels in just a few short years — the old fellow must be mad! He was a Grand Vizier; the Ottoman Empire was not his family's property. What was he after, playing the villain like that?

But no matter what one said, the Ottoman Empire, which had seemed on the verge of collapse, recovered its vitality at once under the old fellow's rough handling. In July 1657 it defeated the Venetian navy at the Dardanelles, recovered Tenedos in September, recovered Lemnos in November, and finally conquered Crete. The next year he sent troops to chastise Transylvania, overthrowing the not-very-obedient Prince George II and replacing him with a new prince loyal to the Ottoman Empire. While he was campaigning in Transylvania, a rebellion against the old scoundrel broke out at home: several governors of Syria and Anatolia rose in joint revolt and marched on the capital. But these rebels were no match for him at all. After he had settled Transylvania, he turned his army to suppress the rebellion and wiped them all out in short order. At present the old fellow was still full of vigor, showing no sign of dying, and was planning to continue expanding into the Balkan Peninsula... so the Habsburg dynasty of the Holy Roman Empire was showing every sign of being a clay idol crossing a river — hardly able to save itself.

"Then how likely is it that we can conclude an armistice treaty with Spain?" Li Shaoyou asked again.

The reason Tang Ruowang had been sent to Europe by the Zhu Emperor was precisely to negotiate peace with Spain and the Roman Catholic Church — Zhu Cilang's asking price was not high: he only demanded that the Spanish acknowledge the Great Ming's inherent rights to the west coast of North America north of California!

Well, that place had belonged to the Great Ming since ancient times, indisputably, and was the Great Ming's!

If Philip IV agreed, the Zhu Emperor was willing to withdraw from Luzon Island and restore the great galleon trade on the Pacific — Zhu Cilang's leaving Luzon Island to the Spanish was, of course, not done with good intentions.

Because Luzon Island was a hostage; the Ming army could attack it at any time!

By "holding" Luzon Island, he could restrain the New Spain authorities' actions on the American continent — if the Spanish dared to attack the Gulf of the Americas, the Zhu Emperor would strike Luzon Island.

"I fear it will not be easy!" Tang Ruowang shook his head. "King Philip is willing to cede Luzon Island to the Great Ming, on the condition that the Great Ming withdraw from the Gulf of the Americas... I never expected King Philip to have a clever moment!"

This was in fact not Philip IV's decision, but the demand of Philip's illegitimate son, Don Juan Jose.

Don Juan Jose had now become prime minister of the Kingdom of New Spain, of which Philip was king, with full authority over Spanish affairs in the Americas.

He had not inherited the family's congenital brain damage, and knew that the Great Ming must not be allowed to gain a firm foothold in the Gulf of the Americas!

"Then will Don Juan Jose soon start a war in the Americas?" Li Shaoyou asked again.

"Unclear. But before concluding a peace treaty with England, Don Juan Jose will not dare act rashly." Tang Ruowang said, "At present he needs to deploy his forces on the islands of the Caribbean Sea and on the Florida peninsula."

Li Shaoyou frowned deeply. "England will probably conclude a treaty with Spain very soon, won't it?"

Just as he finished speaking, the sound of hurried footsteps came from outside the door, followed by the voice of Jabez: "Ambassador Li, Mr. Tang, are you in?"

"Is that Shopkeeper Jia? Come in quickly, come in!"

Li Shaoyou at once rose and took a few steps to greet him, and then saw Jabez, dressed entirely in Western clothes, push open the door and enter.

Jabez was now managing the affairs of the Sino-European United Bank together with Huang Jiang, and was also busy with his family's own business in Europe — he had opened an Oriental Trading Company in England, dealing in furs and pearls while buying English woolens.

In addition, he was the head of the London branch of the Sino-European Bank.

Today he had rushed over, travel-worn, from London, and the moment he entered he said to Li Shaoyou and Tang Ruowang: "Old Cromwell is dead!"

(End of Chapter)